


Fire and Gold

by KuraiOfAnagura



Category: Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: Actually everybody's kind of not normal, Alternate Universe - Fae, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Victorian, Fae & Fairies, Ghosts, Haunted House, M/M, Teacher and Studen relationship, Victuuri flitting through the background, Werewolf, Yuuri and Minami are Cryptozoologists
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-14
Updated: 2019-02-14
Packaged: 2019-10-28 04:03:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,642
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17780228
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KuraiOfAnagura/pseuds/KuraiOfAnagura
Summary: Minami Kenjirou couldn't believe his luck. He, of all people, was the new apprentice of Katsuki Yuuri, the highest decorated cryptozoologist in the whole Royal Society of Paranormal in London!Though of course that comes with its very own adventures. Like exorcising ghosts and fighting werewolfs and meeting beautiful young men with golden hair and eyes just not from this world.





	Fire and Gold

**Author's Note:**

  * For [shadhahvar](https://archiveofourown.org/users/shadhahvar/gifts).



> Dear shadhahver!  
> I hope you'll like and enjoy my fic for you!  
> Thank you so much for your detailed message! And please forgive me that I didn't use any of your sugestions ^^; But as soon as you mentioned mythical creatures my brain did its own stupid thing and I just had to write this!

Minami Kenjirou tried his best to keep up with the long and powerful strides of his mentor, battling his inner awe that promised to overwhelm him whenever he so much as laid an eye on the infamous Katsuki Yuuri.

He still couldn’t believe his luck how he’d ended up as the apprentice of THE expert of the supernatural, the author of ‘Mythological Wonders of East Asia and its Creatures -  A travelers compendium’ and the only Master of Parapsychology that originally came from the Japanese society that has been accepted as member of the Royal Society of Parapsychology and Cryptozoology in London.

Kenjirou tripped over his feet again, lost in thought and fought to keep the scrolls in his arm right were they ought to be.

“Careful, Minami,” his mentor chastised him and Kenjirou felt the blood on his cheeks.

“Hai, Sensei,” he mumbled into the parchment, but Katsuki gave him a warm smile.

“English, from now on, Minami. Master Plisetsky is one of the oldest and most prestigious members of the Royal Society. He was the first Russian to be allowed into it and it’s said that Queen Victoria herself invited him straight from the court of the Tsar to be her voice of advise when it comes to Cryptozoology. Most of all, do not touch anything. Are we clear?”

“Yes, Katsuki-sensei!” With that the two Japanese men straightened their western clothes, something Kenjirou still wasn’t that used to, and Katsuki knocked on the dark wooden door in the nondescript Londoner street.

A maid opened and asked with a slight Russian akzent for their names.

“Yuuri Katsuki, together with his apprentice Kenjirou Minami. We have an appointment with Master Plisetsky for tea and for discussing some dire documents.” Kenjirou’s heart swelled with pride to be announced as his apprentice as Katsuki introduced them with a small bow.

The maid lead them inside and in the vast saloon they were greeted by Nikolai Plisetsky himself. The man had a booming voice and a stern appearance, but soon Kenjirou noticed the underlying kindness and the joy of going over Katsuki-sensei’s scrolls as if he were a small child and the scrolls a present for Christmas.    
Sadly though the English the two spoke, was way too complicated for Kenjirou and soon he found his attention wavering. The circular room with his high ceiling held many distractions; there was a skeleton from some kind of winged lizard under the roof, though that of course had to be replica or forgery. There was a tank spanning over 3 glass windows in the far wall, though the water was green and murky and surely the human like handprint had to be on the outside of the glass and not the inside. The thick foliage by the window was dark and green and when he wasn’t looking it would rustle ever so lightly. Kenjirou thought he saw a glitter of gold and felt himself drawn to that.

The boy got up from his plush seat and went to the assortment of potted plants, all the while the adults were focused on their work.   
Within the plants were several beautiful wired cages that housed colourful birds and even some butterflies, but what really held his attention was a high aviary at the wall next to the high glass window. Kenjirou couldn’t believe his eyes. Behind the bars, who were strangely made out of copper and not iron like the other cages, was a small child!

He rubbed his eyes, but surely, yes, the picture stayed the same!

A small child, clad in only a ruffled and ripped tunic, stood on the other side. Only that the child’s skin was neither tan nor white but held a slightly golden sheen to it. As if he, or she, Kenjirou wasn’t sure, the golden hair could belong to either boy or girl, was dusted with metallic powder.

Its eyes were huge and without any white or pupils, two endless pools of a colour that reminded Kenjirou of gemstones. Neither blue nor green but something in between. They held his gaze captured so he nearly missed the four dragonfly like wings that slowly spread from the boy’s back. Some distant part of his mind provided him with the reason why the tunic was so loose and apparently ripped at the back. Compelled by an invisible force the Japanese student extended his arm and when his fingers were shy of centimeters from the bar the golden lips peeled back, revealing needle like teeth and a hiss like a snake.

The child hissed, Kenjirou screamed and stumbled backwards and suddenly Katuski-sensei was over him.

“Minami-kun, are you ok?” he asked and repeated the question in Japanese when he wouldn’t answer. But how could be answer when he’d just witnessed how the child flew up to one of the perchs high up in the aviary. Master Plisetsky lectured the child in what appeared to be Russian, but only received a pout and a stuck out tongue in return.

Master Plisetsky sighed and turned towards the two Japanese men. “I’m deeply sorry, but I’m sure no harm was done.”

“Not at all, it was my apprentice who wandered around without permission.,” Katsuki said and bowed deeply.

“Nonsense,” Plisetsky waved that away. “You cannot blame somebody for being curious. Where would we be if we hadn’t given in to our urge to explore this world? I know you’re young and it’s not my place, Yuuri Katsuki, but take the advice from an old man to never punish curiosity and the drive to learn and explore in your pupils.”

“I- yes, of course. You ok, Minami?”

Kenjirou only nodded, bowing deeply towards his Sensei and then to Master Plisetsky, who only huffed.

“I see he’s all right again. If a Japanese is polite, he’s alive, or so they say. Come Malyshk, I’ll bring you to the kitchen where you can get a true Russian tea, that will put hairs on your teeth, while I finish business with your Sensei.”

 

\--

 

**Ten Years later**

 

“Sensei~ calm dooown,” the young man sing songed which only caused his teacher to clamp up further.

“You need to relax, Katsuki-sensei, everything will turn out fine!”

Katsuki threw him a dark look, which was somewhat disturbed by the bumpy road the the poor state of the carriage. “The last time you told me ‘everything will turn out fine’, your hair happened.”

Kenjirou’s hands wandered to his hair. Of course his mentor still blamed himself for it, but really nobody could’ve thought of the possibility of an captured Ifrit to possess Kenjirou, no matter for how few seconds; effectively dying his hair gold and red like a flame. 

“It was nobody’s fault, Katsuki-sensei! And besides! The women love it!”

Katsuki looked as if he was sending a prayer to the heavens before he massaged the back of his nose under his spectacles.

“I thought your brother would behead me at any moment when he saw and I cannot really blame him.” Kenjirou’s older brother, Seichirou was Doctor in the East Asian Squadron of the Royal Army, a token of trust sent by the Japanese Emperor himself. He currently held the rank of a General and the title of lord, though nobody really knew how to address him. With their parents gone Seichirou and brought Kenjirou with him to Europe and worked hard to give his little brother the best education possible. He hadn’t liked it at first, but the fact that Katsuki was Japanese as well and that he was, despite his odd topic of research, a respectable member to the Royal Society had helped Kenjirou’s pleas and his brother had arranged for an apprenticeship with the parapsychologist.

“And you really revel a tad too much in the attention of women,” he added as afterthought.

Kenjirou smirked, but did his best to at least hide it behind a cough. “I try, sensei.”

Teacher and student stayed silent from then on, both lost in their thoughts. The rural British countryside passed in a blurr and every tick of Yuuri’s pocket watch brought them closer to Baroness Mila’s deserted summer villa. A very haunted and dangerous, and therefore deserted, summer villa. The Baroness, while originally from Russia, marrying into the British upper class, was a fan of the supernatural and Katsuki found himself invited to a lot of her informal dinners. As a woman it was of course unheard of her to join any society, yet Kenjirou always listened to her expertise and knowledge of central European folklore with awe, regarding her one of their main resources.    
She had been delighted to discover one of her husband’s estates was indeed haunted and had called for a handful of scientist specializing in the field of the paranormal to accompany her to her summer residence in the middle of a bleary late October weekend.   
Katsuki was one of them and sadly so was Nikiforov, the reason for Kenjirou’s teacher’s distress. He knew of course of that fateful Winter’s Ball of the Royal Society of Parapsychology and Cryptozoology, where his sensei got drunk, undressed and ended up dancing and humping none other than Father Nikiforov, the highest decorated exorcist of the Russian Orthodox church.   
The next morning Yuuri was mortified and they departed for Paris right after he was able to walk again. While Kenjirou enjoyed a winter in Paris he missed his friends and French still wasn’t his strong forte. When they returned in early spring to their little loft in east London the Winter’s Ball was still the talk of the day, but thankfully the incident with the Ifrit possession happened soon after and now it was Kenjirou who was in the spotlight rather than his teacher.

Until now Katsuki has had great success with avoiding Father Nikiforov, but with Baroness Mila being one of his main sponsor’s there was no way for him to pass the invitation.

They arrived just right before tea at the villa, the Baroness holding court in the hastily cleaned up east saloon of the estate as she greeted them enthusiastically. 

“Mr. Katsuki! Mr. Minami! I’m so glad you could make it! Please, have a seat, let the maid take your luggage! I’m sure you still know Professor Nekola from the University of Prague? He brought a lovely pair of twins with him as his guests! And oh, great timing, Vitya! I’m sure you remember Father Nikiforov, da?”

Kenjirou dimly noticed how his teacher stiffened beside him as the tall silver haired Russian entered the room, but he could hardly react, because he, too, was awestruck.   
Not by Nikiforov, no, even though the man was a living legend himself, but by the beauty of the man that entered the saloon behind him. He was as tall as the priest, but lanky and with hair of gold rather than silver. He wore it long in an elegant braid down his back and where the Father dressed in a black robe, the blond man wore an elegant dark blue coat. What struck Kenjirou the most were his eyes, though. Like the sea in the south, green and blue and yet nothing at all. Their eyes locked and suddenly Kenjirou had forgotten how to breath. The elegant nose, the fine face, it all held him captive.

“Of course I remember Mr. Katsuki, Miloshka,” Nikiforov answered the question that was not directed at him with a charming smile. Besides Kenjirou his teacher did his best ot to combust and coughed politely, which embarrassingly sounded like a squeak.

The blond fine eyebrows above those enchanting eyes furrowed and the man poked Nikforov in the side with his elbow.

“Ah, yes, excuse me, that was rude, wasn’t it? Anyways! I haven’t had the chance to introduce you to my … assistant. Miloshka, you’ve met him of course. Everybody, this is Yuri Plisetsky. He and I are working together for the most of this year already and I hope we can both help to clear up whatever is going on in here!” Professor Nekola nodded politely and mirrored the blinding smile, while Mila goodnaturedly rolled her eyes.

Of the two frozen Japanese scientists Katsuki moved first and cleared his throat. He moved forward and met Nikiforov’s eyes with bravery aas he shook his hand. When he stepped back, he elbowed Kenjirou in his ribs and his apprentice mirrored his move, though it was robotically and his eyes remained glued on the assistant.

“Plisetsky,” Katuski asked and did a great job on containing his squeak. “You’re by no chance related to Professor Nikolai Plisetsky?”

“He’s my grandfather,” the blond man said and Kenjirou was surprised how deep the voice was for such a think man. Like the Baroness and the Father he had a Russian akzent, though his was much more prominent. It did strange things to Kenjirou that he really didn’t know how to explain.

“I didn't know he had a grandson, but it’s great to see you follow his profession! I hope Professor Plisetsky finds himself in good health?”

“Da,” the young man nodded, the scowl on his face appeared to be a permanent feature.

“Nikolai is as strong as a horse,” Victor added, after it was clear Yuri wouldn’t say anything further. “Yuri has come from Russia to live with him some years ago, learning everything Nikolai has to offer.”

Kenjirou had started to fidget under the intense stare of Yuri until the man finally opened his mouth again. “Ifrit,” it closely sounded like a sneer.

This finally shook Kenjirou out of his trance and his hand wanderen involuntary to his hair. He chuckled to dissipate the tense atmosphere. “Only the hair. I uh- had a little possession session with an Ifrit some time ago. I’m sure you must’ve heard?”

Yuri looked taken aback and something like confusion and respect flitted over his features. He said something in Russian to his mentor on which the Baroness snorted.

“Manners, Yuratchka,” Father Nikiforov reminded him with a tired sigh.

Yuri turned to him again. “I didn’t know of anybody to ever survive this? Can you still burn?”

“I-I uhm, I never checked?”

“And neither will we! I won’t burn my student just to check if he’d received some kind of fire resistance,” Katsuki intervened and tugged Kenjirou to sit with him on one of the sofas. It squeaked when they sat down, testimony of how old the house was.

The Baroness smiled like a cat and offered them tea, while Yuuri was still fuming and refusing to meet Father Nikiforov’s eyes. “With you two gentlemen I think our enterprise is complete. After tea my maid will show you your rooms and I would be delighted to see you again for dinner. Sadly we didn’t have enough time to prepare the dining room, but I’m sure you’ll be satisfied if we have dinner here. Father Victor was so kind and blessed this room in advance. And after all,” she looked around the gathered men like it was a conspiracy, “this is an adventure!”

 

\--

 

“What did he say?” Kenjirou asked when they’d reached their room for the night. As the saloon the small guest room also reeked of dust and mold, but the linens were fresh and the beds soft.

“Who?” his teacher asked absentmindedly as he unpacked his suitcase.

“Yuri. Father Nikiforov’s assistant.”

Katsuki snorted ugly. It was rare for him to show his displeasure so openly, but Kenjirou reasoned it was because the priest put him so much on edge. “He said something along the line of ‘can I try to burn him?’ I found it more than impolite. If you’d muttered something like that to me in Japanese, I would’ve made sure your brother would’ve washed your teeth with soap!”

“He’s really pretty, though,” Kenjirou said before he could stop his mouth.

“Father Nikiforov?” Katsuki gasped and whirled around to face him.

Recognizing he’d said that aloud, both scientists blushed furiously and immediately went back to their task.

“Just… just be careful, ok?” Yuuri whispered into his suitcase. “He is pretty. But so are poisonous flowers.”

Any kind of response was drowned in the bloodcurdling scream of a woman that shattered through the house. Without big consultation the two were out of their room and raced down the long hallway. They arrived just with Professor Nekola, who was fast to crouch down and observe the quivering figure of one of the maids in the broad corridor leading to the kitchen. She was whimpering in obvious pain and the Professor gasped in shock as he gently pried her fingers from her face.

Katsuki was fast to join them on the floor, ready with a soft white tissue he gently dabbed at the blood on her face. Professor Nekola’s own face had become a green tone, obviously sickened by the four ugly gashes that had sliced the delicate skin of the maid’s face open.

“There, there, we’re here. Nothing can hurt you now,” Katsuki soothed her. “Can you call us what happened?”

“I-I-I-” she hyperventilated, trying to clutch her face again with tears streaming down her mauled cheeks. The Baroness arrived in a hurry, but Kenjirou stopped her to interact, because his teacher had that trusting look again in his eyes that made you impossible calm and unable to lie to him.

“There were eyes.... behind the glass… I-I- heard a scratching from the back door… I-I-I g-g-grabbed the candleholder and suddenly the scratching was behind me and when I turned around I heard this snarl and suddenly I was in pain and everything looked red!” She broke down into sobs again. This time Kenjirou allowed for the Baroness to hurry to her side and console her.

“This is rather strange,” his teacher murmured as he joined Kenjirou and the other scientists in the saloon.

“Do you think this falls in your field of expertise, Dr. Katsuki?” Nekola asked. One of his beautiful but mute Italian companions has handed him a tissue drenched in peppermint oil, which the professor held under his nose.

“It could. The wounds surely looked like caused by some big animal. Like a bear or a big cat. Though this is highly unlikely, even more so since we haven’t found any tracks. This leads me to some mythical creatures, cryptozoids. Dartmoore is not far away, but we’ve never heard that the shadow cat wandered around. Also the door hadn’t been opened. Some kind of Wendigo could’ve achieved it or even a vampire, but the latter must’ve been invited…” Katsuki trailed off.

“You sound as if you’ve had experiences with these creatures already,” a Russian accented voice suddenly asked. Nobody had heard how the blond and silver haired men had entered the room.

“Mila has given the maid some opium for her pain. She was offered to spend the night in town, but refused to go outside. She was quite hysteric,” Father Nikiforov said smoothly as he sat down on the chaise lounge previously occupied by the Baroness. “And yes, Yura, if you would’ve listened you’d knew that Dr. Katsuki here’s one of the best versed cryptozoologists of our times. His travelers compendium is quite a resource of knowledge!” Katsuki’s face became an impossible red colour. “But I fear his knowledge won’t help him much, I think the source behind the attack falls more in my area of operation.”

“Why do you think so, Father?” Nekola asked.

“Because, as my esteemed colleague Dr. Katsuki has already said, there’s a lack of tracks. I’ve concluded that this house is indeed haunted and my closest guess would be a poltergeist. They’re quite vicious creatures.”

“But aren’t poltergeister known to warn their victims before attacking them?” Kenjirou asked.

“Correct, Mr. Minami. But we all have arrive in the afternoon, we don’t know if there have been any warnings in the morning, when the Baroness and her household arrived.”

“But wouldn’t Mila have told us so?” his assistant asked, folding his hands over his chest. “The hag’s such a blabbermouth. She would’ve told us about even the most mundane gust of wind.”

“Hmh,” Nikiforov mused. “You may be right, Yura.”

“Father Nikiforov-” Kenjirou started, but was stopped by overly cheerful smile.

“Please, like the Baroness said, we’re all in this together, in this adventure. I’d say after the first attack formalities aren’t necessary anymore. Please call me Victor.”

“In this case, I’m Emil. I’ve always felt a tad too old to be called Professor.”

“Maybe we can find some clues in the paper work of the house. I’m sure there has to be an account book somewhere. Or maybe old diaries?”

“Excellent idea, Vitya,” the Baroness said from the door, she slumped down rather graceless next to the priest, her skirts billowing around her. “Yuratchka, why don’t you take Minami here and go to the office? Yuuri, I’ve heard you’re quite the cook. Since my maids refuse to enter the kitchen again, we’re short on staff to prepare dinner. Vitya, go help him, make yourself useful. And Emil, I would love to know more about your lovely companions…”

“I don’t think-” Yuuri tried to argue, but Victor as already jumped up, eager to follow the Baroness’ orders.

“What a splendid idea! Yuratchka, be a good boy and take Minami with you. Yuuri! I’m sure we have a LOT to talk about!”

Kenjirou was helpless as his teacher was dragged by the over eager man towards the kitchen. His own companion only jerked his head for him to follow.   
Yuri had taken an oil lamp from the saloon and lead them up the stairs, where the service quarters were. At the end of the corridor they opened a creaking door, which used to be the butler's office. They were greeted by cobwebs and dust and the smell of old parchment, which set both young men at ease thanks to its familiarity.

“What exactly are we looking for?” Kenjirou asked as he carefully plugged one of the frail looking books from the shelve. 

“Violent deaths. Executions. Events that could produce anger and remorse. Everything that might’ve been the cause of an evil spirit to appear.”

“Erm, sure, I mean. I can do that?”

“Great,” was the flat answer.

“Sooo, I’ve met your grandfather some times already, but I didn’t know he had a grandson? And how come you’re working with Father Nikiforov?”

“My… mother entrusted me to him when I was… very small. I’ve been working with that balding geezer on his request. Otherwise I wouldn’t be here.” How everything the young man said could sound like a sneer was beyond Kenjirou, yet he couldn’t help the magnetic pull emitted by the blond.

“I’ve been Katsuki Yuuri’s apprentice for nearly ten years now, but I can remember how everything’s way too overwhelming. Still is, to be honest, at times like these.”

A scoff, but a gentle one, followed. “I’m not overwhelmed. I just don’t like to be here. In this situation.”

“What do you-”

“We have work to do, don’t we?”

“Ah, yes, of course.” With a sad face Kenjirou as he leaned again over a dusty diary.

 

He was flipping through some more books regarding the same timeframe 95 years ago, when he first heard the sound. During his work with the highest decorated cryptozoologist he’d had his fair share of encounters with mythical and sometimes deadly beasts and the sound of big claws on wood was not a foreign one to him.   
Before his mind could command his body, though, a strangely warm hand clasped over his mouth, silencing whatever question he might’ve had.

Yuri didn’t make a sound as he guided Kenjirou from his chair into the crook between the door and the wall. The clicking sounds of the claws have stopped right before their room. The silencing finger over pale lipps was obsolete, because Kenjirou was already aware of their situation and bit his own lipps as Yuri pressed them both against the wall. Minami inhaled deeply, despite the dire situation. Yuri was very warm, as he was running a fever and his scent… how could somebody smell like summer?

They both had to suppress a gasp as suddenly something heavy threw itself against the door.   
Ugly snarls and a rattling breath could be heard from the outside. They flinched simultaneously as heavy claws scratched against the door, the vibrations detectable from where they stood. Again a loud bang against the wood, which would hopefully hold fast and a growling sound, annoyed could be heard from outside.

The Japanese man pressed his head tighter against Yuri’s chest, hoping that whatever it was, that was outside in the hallway, would grow tired soon and slink away.

He’d lost his sense of time as his heart beat a staccato rhythm for so long and he was sure his shirt must’ve been drenched by cold sweat already. The beast must’ve smelled them, how else would it be certain they were in here? Yet after he didn’t know how many attempts they both heard the clicking claws retreating down the hallway again and the sigh of relief was a shared one.

They both stood there some more minutes, before Yuri slowly reached for the door handle. “I want you to take my hand,” he whispered into Kenjirou’s ears with a cool breath. “Do not let go, do not look back and when I start running, run with me as fast as you can. Alright?”   
Kenjirou nodded that he’d understood and Yuri had already opened the door. The oil lamp had been doused some time ago and when they stepped into the hallway they were greeted with darkness. He turned towards the door and his blood froze as he saw the deep and wide claw marks, the same pattern as on the poor maid’s face.

Another click, a snarl and he didn’t know which of them took off faster, but Yuri and Kenjirou were running down the corridor, the clacking of teeth and the growls right on their heels. He remembered Yuri’s warning and refused to look back, too scared on what he might see or even worse: what he might not see.

The door to the saloon was open, shining like a golden haven at the end of a dark tunnel. Their hands stayed intertwined when they reached the brightly lit room and threw the doors close behind them. The gathered scientists and remaining household members screamed in shock as, just like before, something heavy threw itself against the wooden doors.

“Yura!”

“Kenjirou!”

Their respective mentors were fast to get to their sides. The two young men had crouched down to the floor, panting heavy, lungs burning.

“Yura, can you talk? What was that?” Victor asked and tried to gauge how careful he should treat his assistant.

“Kenjirou, are you hurt? Have you seen it?”

“It’s a werebeast,” he gasped, just at the same time as Yuri croaked “It’s a ghost.”

The two parties looked at each other.

“All right, why don’t you to get your breath back, drink something and then you tell us what you found?” Baroness Mila said.

Yuri threw her a disgusted look. “Really, hag?”

Mila, who currently housed the beautiful Italian woman at her side, played innocent, all while caressing the ebony hair and ignoring the fact where hands have wandered. Her brother had resumed a similar position, though he was perched at Emil’s feet. The twin stares of unnaturally violet eyes laid on the young Russian.

“What? Yura? Am I not allowed to have some fun?” the Baroness asked in an airy tone.

Yuri rolled his eyes as Victor helped him to his feet. “Fun is not defined by fooling around with a succubus and an incubus, baba!” The woman’s eyes turned into dangerous slits and the male demon emitted a low hiss, until Emil patted his head.

“Yuri, this is not the place. They’re with us in this together and after all, Mila has invited them. You know she’s a big girl, she can handle herself,” Victor tried smooth the situation. “Please tell us what you found out first before you can accuse Mila of bad taste. Which you really can’t. I have to say, Professor Nekola, I knew you were a formidable magus, but chaining two this fine specimen to your side? I have to say I’m impressed!”

Professor Nekola bowed his head humbly. “Thank you, Father, though I have to admit it’s more of an mutual arrangement than a real pact.”

“And it’s not like we don’t get something out of it,” the succubus said, speaking for the first time. Her hands darted deeper into the folds of their shared dresses, drawing a giggle from the Baroness and a playful bat of the hand.

“The beast. Outside of these very doory. Please!” Katsuki urged them with the air of exasperation around him.

“It was a ghost, the amulet you gave me, Victor. It got warmer,” Yuri said and held up a chain of several little golden coins, all engraved with different symbols, that had resided in his breast pocket. Kenjirou caught the glimpse of yet another golden chain around his neck, hidden by the linen shirt.

Victor took the amulet in his hands, flicked it with his nails and held it against his ear before he nodded in confirmation. “This one has reacted. Whatever we’re dealing with has already crossed the threshold once.”

“Minami?” Katsuki asked him and Kenjirou drew a big breath, addressing the audience.

“95 years ago a stable hand that was employed under the back then Baron had to be a werewolf. I don’t know if he’d been bitten or if he’d been a born one, but I found several entries of mutilated corpses of first livestock, but later of people from the village. I calculated and the happenings were always occurring during a full moon. The Baron must’ve come to the same conclusion and ordered for everybody in his household to take a mild tonicum of wolfsbane.”

“I’m sorry to interrupt, but isn’t that poisonous? Like in general?” Mila interrupted his report.

“It is,” Katsuki filled it, “but the degree varies. Wolfsbane or Aconitum lycoctonum is a poisonous plant to both humans and beasts alike, yet the potency varies immensely. A highly diluted potion will cause  hypotension , sinus bradycardia , and ventricular arrhythmias in it’s victims, but usually it will not proof fatal, if you’re of good health. You can even dilute it further and all you’ll experience is a burning sensation and nausea. But if a werebeast, especially a werewolf, will get into contact with it, it will cause immense pain, paralysis and ultimately death.”

“It’s never really been written down, but I’ve come to the conclusion that the stable boy must’ve reacted severely to the wolfsbane potion and was therefore put down by the Baron. THere were orders for silver chains and I think they buried the corpse somewhere on this land, wrapped in chains. The only conclusion I could come up with on why it’s turned into such a vengeful spirit is that he must’ve still be alive when he was buried in silver.”

Katsuki groaned painful as he sat down after that and Yuri looked at him with a flabbergast look, as if he was seeing him in a totally new light. Kenjirou tried not to preen on it too much.

“A werewolf ghost,” he muttered followed by a short Japanese prayer, “and here I thought I’ve seen so much already.” 

Victor was fast to be by his side.

“How do you know all of this? We were in this office for like only half an hour. Including being harassed by that beast,” Yuri asked him with suspicion.

Kenjirou turned read, suddenly abashed. “Ah, well, you see… when I read something… I can keep it in my memory just like it was?”

The blond man only shook his head. “You’re astonishing.”

The compliment did strange things to Kenjirou’s inside and he honestly didn’t know how to handle the sudden feelings rumouring inside his heart.

His musing though was cut short as a howling sound rose from outside the door and the windows.

“Today’s a full moon!” Victor informed everybody. “The moon will be in its zenith soon, which means the ghost will have its greatest power! Everybody gather together and stay close. Mila! Draw a circle of salt. Death must’ve freed him from his weakness of silver, as we’ve seen with your maid. The candleholder she’d grabbed had to be silver. Yuri!”

“Fuck off, old man!”

Despite Victor’s orders Yuri had taken a step back from the other people and looked more afraid of Victor than of the wolf outside of the saloon.

“You will do as I say, Yuratchka! You agreed to be my blade and you will cut this beast down so we can lay its soul to rest!” The priest brandished a golden amulet, which held a blue green gemstone in its center. Yuri threw Kenjirou one last desperate look, before his eyes lost their sparkle and all fight left the lithe body.

Several things happened at once. The door and windows burst open, with the full moon in its highest place in the night sky, the undead beast had enough power to break the protective wards of the priest and the magus. Wooden splinters and broken glass rained down on the huddled company in the middle of the room, several lamps on the walls went out, yet the fire of the fireplace burned strong. It illuminated the half visible outlines of the ghostly werewolf. It’s skull was half rotten, but claws and teeth remained sharp as it made its way to them. Kenjirou’s eyes were trained on Yuri though, who’d remained outside of the salt circle. It was as if his outlines were watering down and suddenly he moved faster than his eyes could follow and crashed into the spectre. In his place stood suddenly a golden skinned warrior, with two pairs of emerald gossamer wings flitting on his pack, catapulting him with impossible speed around the ghost.

“A fea? Nikiforov, have you lost your mind?” Katsuki asked with fear in his voice.

“Relax, Yuuri, I’ve got him under control,” Victor said with an arrogant smile, showing them the amulet. “He wears the other part of it. It’s a contract and it protects him if the fairy queen would ever require him back.”

Kenjirou knew of course of Fae and their court system. Of all the mythical creatures he’d studied the Fae were probably the most dangerous ones. They were a lot closer to bees than to humans, though. One queen ruled her court or her hive with absolute power, most of the Fae born to her rule are female. Yet sometimes the queen decides to produce drones, exclusively male Fae. They’re not born like the female ones, they come to this world as eggs, which resemble huge gemstones to the human eye. The Queens exchange them as some kind of currency and once in spring they allow them to hatch. The rule over the drones is absolute and they usually let them fight each other until the victor would be allowed to become the Queen’s lover, the Oberon, for the summer before he died.

Years later from now, when Yuri and Kenjirou had lived a long life together, worked together and survived their own fair share of adventures, Yuri would tell his lover how his grandfather had once received the egg of a drone as a gift from one of the Fairy Queens. He’d fulfilled her a favour and she’d handed him one of her sons as if it were a trinket to pay a debt. Nikolai Plisetsky was a man with a huge heart and however he managed it, the egg hatched and he found himself with a young Fae, who he loved and raised like his own blood. The fear though, that one Queen would come and claim him, hung over them like a damocles sword. The only thing of more power than a Queen was a debt to the Fae and Yuri owed his life to his grandfather. The old sorcerer managed to pour the essence of the debt into two amulets that bore parts of them gem like shell that was once his egg. The holder of the other part would wield power over Yuri as if he knew his true name, though in the hands of a kind man it was a small prize to pay.   
And even if Yuri and Victor edged on each other a lot, Victor would never do anything to bring true harm to his assitant. For once he was tasked by Nikolai himself to show his grandson the world and to protect him and he’d come to love the young lost boy he’d witnessed growing up.

“Chants and exorcism protect you only that much. I’ve needed a weapon for more corporal enterprises and he is just that. What could be more powerful against ghosts than the power of immortality wielded by the Fae?” Victor asked with glee in his eyes as he observed how his charge flitted through the room, attacking the werewolf with his own razorlike claws.

“But he will consume your essence in the end! You know there is no pact with the Fae that will end well!” Yuuri tried to reason with him, but Victor only gave him a gentle smile.

“How much longer will this fight go on?” Emil asked as a particular blood curdling howl echoed through the devastated room.

“It’s already getting weaker, the moon stays only for some minutes in its peak, after that Yuri should be able to finish it off,” Victor reassured them. But just as the words have left his mouth the wolfmen could finally land a hit on the fast Fae, burying its claws deep into the golden side and threw him viciously into the deserted chaise lounge. Blood and wood scattered alike around the broken body.

Kenjirou was out of the circle and next to Yuri before his brain could comprehend what he had done. He gently lay a hand on the golden chest and was relieved to feel a heartbeat. He had a body like a statue dipped in gold, his hair the only thing that hadn’t been glamoured by his spell and as he opened his pupilless eyes, Kenjirou saw the same colour of blue and green and not and everything in between that had followed his dreams since that fateful day they met for the first time as children.

“Go back… don’t be stupid…” Yuri coughed weekly, the crimson already gathering under him.

“Take some of my essence. Or we will all die.” Again Yuri regarded him with a strange look. Astonishment was equally communicated despite his inhuman eyes.

The kiss was fast, but intense, Yuri’s lips were hot against his and Kenjirou felt how his own body heat wandered towards the other. When he left him, Kenjirou felt weak and lightheaded, but managed to scramble back into the circle, where his teacher welcomed him with open arms.

With renewed vigor the Fae surged up again and grabbed the approaching wolv by its neck. He threw the screeching creature into the fire place where it howled loud in pain. Victor was fast to step forward and blessed the flames. The holy fire immediately started to purge the tortured soul and the half corporal beast was reduced to ashes in no time. With one last sorrowful howl the fireplace exploded, effectively setting fire to the house and blowing the room’s occupants to the floor.

“My husband will not be amused, when I tell im I burned the summer house!” Mila wailed as she helped the household to her feet and ushered her guests to the outside.

“Goddammit! The amulet! Where is it?” Victor refused to leave the burning saloon, searching frantically for the golden token that had been knocked from his hand in the blast. Kenjirou looked up and there in the middle of the fire he saw a green blue blinking piece. Without thought, ( he acted quite thoughtless throughout the day, no wonder his teacher was in such a worry for him all of the time) he sprinted towards it and reached into the licking red and golden flames, darting outside with the others as soon his fingers closed around the hot metall.

“Minami, your hand!” Katsuki gasped and doused him with a bucket of water as he reached the well where the others had gathered.

“It’s ok, sensei, see! My skin is unharmed!” Kenjirou lifted his pale and unmarred hand up. “It seems as if I’m really immune to fire now!”

“You will be the death of me,” Katsuki groaned, but hugged him tightly. They were quick to count the remaining people. Beside the badly marred maid nobody had really come to harm, but the villa was brightly lit as the flames consumed it.

Kenjirou sat down, deciding he’d earned himself the moment of weakness. Katsuki stayed with him as they watched the house to burn down. Victor and Yuri, now clad again in his human like glamour but only with a blanket slung against his naked shoulders.

He wanted to stand up and return the amulet, but Victor only shook his head. “You’re its new holder. You risked your life and retrieved it. Yuuri, can I have a word?” With that he guided his teacher away. Yuri let himself fall on the grass next to him with an audible sigh.

“Is your wound ok? That was a lot of blood,” Kenjirou asked after some time.

“You’re damn stupid, you know? There was no way you could’ve known that the fire wouldn’t hurt you!”

“Hah, yeah, that was very stupid.”

“And leaving the salt circle like that. You’re a moron!”

“I fear I have to agree with you on that…”

“Offering your essence to a Fae. I’ve never met a bigger idiot like you before!”

“Is that a compliment?”

“Shut up!”

Kenjirou grinned and looked back at the roaring fire. The two shared some moments of silence, before Yuri spoke again. He had a pouting note to his voice, sounding more like a bratty child.

“I’m bound to you know, you understand that, right?”

“Yeah. But I don’t want that you have to do as I say.”

“Then don’t order me around. Easy as that.” Yuri appeared to be satisfied with his answer.

“How long will you stay with me?”

“As long as you live or as long as the amulet stays in your possession. I’m immortal. I won’t age. Not really, though.”

“Ah, I see.”

“It’s stupid,” Yuri muttered to himself , burrowing himself deeper into the blanket.

“What is stupid,” Kenjirou asked and was sure the red sheen on Yuri’s cheeks had nothing to do with the fire.

“You’re mortal. I’m not. You’ll age and grow old and die and I’ll stay. I shouldn’t… I shouldn’t get attached. It’s bad enough with Deda and the balding geezer already…”

Minami laughed and Yuri looked up in confusion. “Oh, that’s easy then! Then I just need be reborn and we can have yet another life together! But what do you say? Let’s try to survive this one first, ok?”

 

\--

 

Minami Kenjirou fiddled nervously with his good luck charm, attached to his Iphone in his pocket. The metro of New York was as crowded as the ones in Tokyo, but he was a country’s boy and the huge masses of people made him nervous. Even more so since it was the first time he was wandering alone through the city, but his coach had sent him away on his own. Claiming jet leg and fatigue after the last interview.

“I know you’ve been born that way, Minami,” his coach Yuuri Katsuki, the living figure skating legend had told him. “I’ve seen babyfotos of you. You always had this hair. I know. But you cannot tell that to reporters. Nobody believes you and in the end they would accuse your parents of bad parenting because they dyed the hair of their baby red and blond!”

It was early summer and for New York, where the 4CC was held this year, it was a particular warm day for the 14th of February. He’d even already shedded his team Japan jacket and now strolled through the busy streets, searching for the shortest way to the central park.

He gripped his good luck charm again, feeling as if the old gold and tourmaline that was embedded in the amulet had turned warm again. His mother had been mortified as she found out he’d added the old family hairloom to his phone of all things. But Kenjirou assured her that he never let it out of his reach and even clipped it on a bracelet for when he was skating. And after all, he was a young man with an internet connection, he would never part with his phone out of his own free will.

He finally crossed the last street and was surrounded by green, feeling as if he could finally breathe again. He strolled through the park when his eyes suddenly fell on the lenky figure of a blond man slouched on a park bank.

It was as if an electric shock coursed through him. Never before had he seen a human more beautiful than that. Surely he had to be a model. Kenjirou also wasn’t that sure if he saw a man or a woman, the long blond hair could stand for both genders. Despite the tacky leopard print jacket and obnoxious fashion choice Kenjirou felt himself drawn to the young man.

When he stood in front of him the blond stranger looked finally up and Kenjirou felt as if he was punched in the guts. He was met with eyes just the same exact colour of his good luck charm.

The blond man broke into a shit eating grin.

“Hey there, lookin’ for someone?”

**Author's Note:**

> Now for some clarifications on who's what xD  
> Victor is a cursed priest. Cursed with the power to exorcise spirits, but tasked with feeling their pain while doing so. This is the reason he's so swallow to everybody until he met Yuuri. Yuri agreed to be his blade, so Victor didn't need to use his powers and get tortured in return.
> 
> Yuuri was raised by kami in the wilderness, which is why he has a compelling and calming nature. He worked hard on a compendium, acting as a medium between mythical creatures and humans, hoping they would somehow understand each other in the future.
> 
> Minami, like shortly stated, was possessed by an Ifrit, a high ranking fire spirit. Usually people get reduced to ashes when this happens, but Yuuri was fast to repell it and it left Minami with an immunity to fire and the mark of "touched by the flames" forever in his hair xD
> 
> Yuri is a male fae drone, just like explained in the story. I'm a biologist myself and I've poured way too much thought into the organization of fairy's ÖuÖ
> 
> Emil is a high ranking magus, effectivly a sorcerer of some sort. THough a magus works closer with spirits that are associated as demons.
> 
> The Crispino twins are a Succubus and an Incubus and while they may have forged something with Emil that may appear as a normal demon/magus pact, it's more on a friendly basis. Like a mutual symbiosis xD
> 
> Mila is a Russian Witch. She used her powers to seduce a young Baron to marry high and rich and even if she's not the most loyal wife (coughSarahcough) she genuinly likes her husband and helps him to rise in power and wealth.
> 
> Thank you so much for reading all of this!  
> I genuinly hope you enjoyed this! I, for myself, had so much fun writing it!
> 
> Please let me know how you liked it! Leaving a comment makes your fanfiction writer so happy and fuels only more fanfictions to com! <3


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